Attn ADHD people!

If you want to lose weight, Adderall is going to be extremely useful. My caloric consumption drops to half when I am on it (averaging 1450 calories a day).

As for the side effects, their strength will depend on the dosage and your health in general. I would not expect anything serious to occur unless your blood pressure is already high. Recent studies (http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/12/health/heart-attack-stroke-risk-adhd-meds) found Adderall does not increase the risk of Heart Attack or Stroke.

As for addictiveness, though everyone is different in this regard, I personally have had no problem stopping (which I've had to do for different reasons about 4 different times). I've also never had a 'come-down' period after stopping, but that's me.

If you are concerned about side effects you might want to try half doses initially, working up to the full dose. If it doesn't work for you you can always ask your doctor to try something else. I did hear there is a new non-stimulant add drug so you might want to ask about that (it is called Strattera, I think(I tried it and had migraines, once again ymmv)).

I am 48 and was diagnosed ADHD at 46. I was on Adderall for a while. I felt an 'intense' hit in the morning when i took it. I switched to Vyvance. nice and smooth feeling of focus and last longer in to the day. Sometimes it affects my sleeping at night.

I think it curbs my appetite a bit as well.

I LOVE the effect it has on me and sometimes wonder how i was able to succeed previously. Crazy!

Good luck!

I was just diagnosed. It happened by accident. I was suffering from fatigue and my Dr. put me on Wellbutrin. Right away it helped with the fatigue. I wasn't having to sleep 12 hours a day, but I didn't like it because I felt my creativity was gone. Then I realized I was focusing on tasks and chores and getting things done in one session, which I have never been able to do. I told my Dr about it and she told me that I might be ADD because Wellbutrin has that effect on people with ADD and ADHD. She referred me to a specialist who confirmed it. Now I realize have had it all of my life. I also found out that it can contribute to weight gain, because you have difficulty sticking to a routine and watching what you eat.

Since being treated I have stuck with my program effortlessly, lost over 40lbs and finished getting certified to teach a group exercise class. I am amazed at what a difference it makes for me. I just started taking Adderall. We will see if it helps any. You have to be careful about it. If it gives you symptoms like "crystal meth" then you may have been misdiagnosed. My Dr. made it clear that if it had that effect on me to stop taking it and call right away. ADHD is a genetic disorder with specific brain chemistry. Adderall helps the ADD and ADHD brain to calm down and focus. A lot of people take it who don't have ADHD for the "high" feeling it gives to people without ADHD. They will buy it illegally, or even study the symptoms of ADHD online to trick a DR into prescribing it. There are even websites that tell you exactly how to act and answer questions so the DR will give it to you.

Adderall doesn't work for everyone. You have to try it and make sure you let your DR know how it affects you. It is all trial and error. They will try different medications until you find one that works for you. I don't even know if it will work for me since it was just added. I don't really feel any different with it than I do without it, but was told to give it a few days.

I'm on Adderall XR.

I started at 10mg and now I take 20mg. The difference when I'm on it vs. when I'm not are night and day. I stopped taking it for about a month and got very little done (I'm a grad student). I basically went back to feeling the way I felt before: unmotivated, unorganized, "slow" (as in getting things done, still had the racing thoughts), impulsive, etc. I really have no idea how I got through elementary school, high school, college, and a year of medical school without it. Huge difference in my focus and dramatic difference when taking exams - no more making stupid mistakes because I'm rushing through it! My scores have dramatically improved. Seriously a life saver.

Yes, it kills my appetite, but I found that if I take it after breakfast instead of before, my appetite isn't suppressed as much. I made that mistake today and I have had to force myself to eat - growling stomach and all.

I do take "holidays" - I don't take it on the weekends. And there was a mention of addiction - I randomly stopped taking it for a month to see if I could manage my ADHD by myself with no drugs (I can't just yet). I still had pills left, I just didn't take it. So no addiction for me.

As always, drugs affect people differently. I haven't had a problem with anxiety, or any stimulant related side effects (except for the loss of appetite). Plus my doctor really worked with me, easing me into it rather than giving me the typical dosage right away. I think if he started me on 20mg rather than 10mg I would be singing a different tune.

I was diagnosed with ADD and took Concerta (a time release form of ritalin) in my 50s. and used it for a little more than 2 years.
It was very effective in treating my symptoms (improved focus, less procrastinating and ability to finish projects) I stopped it though for these reasons

Increased heart rate and blood pressure-I needed 3 meds to control it

Insomnia

Immunity to alcohol. I found myself having several drinks without feeling any effect. I could finish a half bottle o single malt. Definitely not good

Most important of all: Sexual side effects- It makes getting and maintaining an erection very difficult.. I never needed viagra before (or since) but that was the only way to get it up and 100 mg diidn't always do the trick

Hope that helped

.... Anorexia isn't a side effect of Adderall. Anorexia is a mental illness. Adderall may be used by people with Anorexia, but it doesn't cause it...

I was diagnosed about 8-10 years ago, ADHD Inattentive type. The hyperfocus is great but everything else falls apart around me... bills, house, diet,.. everything. I've been on Strattera, Adderall 10-20-30 then back down to 20, now Vyvanse.

I've got a couple of things to say about the condition, meds, etc.:

#1 If you are TRULY ADHD, meaning a true chemical imbalance leading to an inability to focus, organize, manage your life, a stimulant drug (providing it is the correct dosage for your body/condition) will not have a speed-like affect on you. In fact it will have quite the opposite effect. Stimulant drugs work by stimulating the release of Serotonin, which among other things affects the executive center of the brain. Basically calming an already excited CNS. If you are ADHD, and the Rx is causing racing heart, shakes, nervous tics, your dose is waay too high. Adderal XR 30 did that, had to back off to 20 and then switch to Vyvanse.

#2 Many times, other mental, emotional disorders and life situations (menopause, hormonal imbalance, divorce, new baby, death in the family, changing jobs, etc.) can mimic ADHD. Such as depression. That is why Wellbutrin and others help. Often depression and ADHD occur together - in which case that needs to be worked out with your psychiatrist.

#3 If your GP diagnosed you, and put you on a stimulant AND you are having all of the associated problems with taking a stim... consider going to a specialist, i.e. psychiatrist, to get reevaluated for your ADHD. The questionaires, long consultation are very very necessary for getting an accurate diagnosis. This diagnosis should also involve a quarterly mental/emotional/how's-it-going?/meds checkup. If getting your Rx reissued doesn't involve this, it should.

#4 Finally, just because you're put on a certain drug for your condition, does not mean it will continue to work effectively from here on out. You might notice a decreasing effectiveness on your symptoms, a higher dose may be needed. But if the higher dose starts causing other physiological symptoms, you seriously need to be reevaluated. A drug to fix 1 problem shouldn't cause 3-4 others requiring even more drugs. Jaygreen, I'd suggest you might want to talk to your doctor about getting off the Adderall and seeing if the other problems go away, that is if you haven't already. Getting a base line on your health so you know where you really stand...


Now, with all that said,.... I am NOT a health professional. Just a person with a good bit of education in the health stuff, and a lot of personal research on the ADHD subject.

Also, on a personal note. As I said before I have been on at least 3 different drugs for my ADD. If one stopped working or causing physical problems I consulted with my psychiatrist. I wish I could get off of my stimulants. Life is much more interesting when I'm not on them, again... love that hyperfocus!, it's much more tasty and fun... thrill seeker here. But as a mother of two teenage boys, wife, business owner, and chief cook, bottle washer and home administrator, well, let's just say crap has got to get done, bills have to be paid, and the laundry ain't gonna do itself. Without it, life is rather chaotic. I look forward to the day that I chuck the Rx bottle in the trashcan.

.... Anorexia isn't a side effect of Adderall. Anorexia is a mental illness. Adderall may be used by people with Anorexia, but it doesn't cause it...

Anorexia is also a symptom where one has a loss of appetite.

Anorexia Nervosa is a mental illness.

From what I understand about ADD/ADHD, Adderall will be great for treating kids (bring them down a bit) but have the opposite effect on adults (make them hyper)? On the upside, you'll have lots of energy (just what you want with ADHD, haha).

I was diagnosed at 20 and have been on Adderall (and for a brief period, Vyvanse, but it didn't work as well) on and off since. I'm off now since I'm nursing but I'll go back on when I wean. I used to take mine with Welbutrin and Prozac as well. It does amazing things for me. I really struggle with focus, organization, and impulsivity and it helps me with all those. I'm much more patient, focused, and driven when I take it. I do get the lack of appetite side effect but it dies off after a bit and like a previous poster mentioned, eating breakfast first helps a ton. I've been able to stop and start the meds with no addictions, but I have to be consistent when I'm on it - I can take a day off here and there but I do better when I'm taking it most days. Too many days off and starting it up again makes me super jittery and nauseous so when I do go off and on it (for example when I've been pregnant) I have to wean down my dosage and wean back up with the assistance of my doctor.